My Top 5: Skin Detox Boosters

Because I’ve been clean eating for many years now, and I’ve committed to a heavy duty detox program over the last three years (extended juice fasts, colon cleansing, liver flushes), I’m happy to say that my skin gives me very little trouble and I rarely have a breakout. The only time my skin tends to act out is when I’m dealing with some hard core detox symptoms and that’s pretty much a given when I’m on an extended fast.

As many of you know, I’m now in the midst of my third 92-day juice fast. Whenever I’m fasting, I always make sure I flush the toxins out of my body as swiftly and efficiently as possible. Since the skin is one of the largest elimination organs, skin detox boosting rituals are always on the menu.

Here are some old and new skin detox boosting favorites I’m indulging in these days.

• Apple cider vinegar toner
  I haven’t used harsh cleansers, soaps or anything of the sort on my face in years (I’m an oil cleansing enthusiast) and I have to say it has served me well. On the other hand, using toners is something I wasn’t into for years (I didn’t quite grasp the concept) but I’m now a self-confessed toner devotee. In the toners department (as with everything else 😉 I like to keep it simple. I typically rely on floral waters (rose, geranium and niaouli hydrosols being my favorites) to keep my skin extra clean, hydrated and prepped for my daily moisturizer.When I’m on a juice fast and know that I’ll be faced with the occasional skin misbehavior, I like to add this fabulous DIY apple cider vinegar toner to my morning and evening beauty routine. It’s pretty amazing at keeping my skin clean and radiant, and at preventing (or calming down) detox breakouts. I always use raw (unpasteurized), unfiltered and organic apple cider vinegar because it’s brimming with living enzymes. The recipe is super simple: I mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 1 part witch hazel. You can reduce the amount of vinegar to suit your skin and needs (this is no exact science 😉 and add a few drops of lavender essential oils to make this toner’s unusual fragrance more enjoyable.

• Bentonite clay mask
  I love to do a bentonite clay mask once a week (especially while on a juice fast) to draw out the impurities from my skin and keep it gorge and blemish-free. This is one of my absolute favorite DIY facial masks! I typically mix 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay with 1 tablespoon of spring water (or apple cider vinegar to make it ever more potent) and mix it into a nice paste. I apply that thick grey mixture all over my face (but avoid the delicate eye area) and let it dry until I get that amazing pulsing effect (usually within about 20 minutes). Then I rinse if off with lukewarm water and finish off with a hot towel wrap for that fabulous “just stepped out of the steam room” effect. It’s hard to describe how clean this mask makes me feel!A word of warning though, this mask tends to make my face intensely red. I don’t mind that a bit and it calms down within 30 minutes or so, but clearly it’s best to do it at bed time and not before stepping out for a social engagement!

• Yon-Ka Invigorating Mist & Purifying Emulsion
  I’m a mist maniac. My all time beauty fave is my rose damask hydrosol (from my beloved India) which I always keep within reach and spritz on my face throughout the day. It is divine for keeping my skin hydrated and glowing. With my skin in detox mode and acting out a bit, I’ve had to add something a little more cleansing to my beauty regimen. For the last couple weeks, I’ve been using Yon-Ka’s phyto-aromatic healing water and I absolutely love it. It’s alcohol free, with deep cleansing and skin beautifying essential oils of lavender, geranium, rosemary, cypress, and thyme. I’ve been gleefully spritzing it on my face liberally mornings and evenings (and a little in between as well 😉 and it’s truly heavenly, especially on these hot summer days. I’ve also been dabbing the purifying emulsion on problem areas at night. It’s fab at clearing blemishes yet it’s super gentle and smells so wonderful…So Yon-Ka has become a new green beauty fave of mine. I recently discovered this fabulous line of plant-based skincare from Paris and I have to say I’m hooked. It’s plain weird I hadn’t heard of them before, because I always have my eye out for great plant-based skincare and they’re just a couple blocks away from my former Parisian abode. Plus they’ve been around since the 1950s! At any rate, I’m glad we’ve finally found each other and I’ll be sharing with you more skin beautifying faves from their line very soon.

• Dry skin brushing
  Unlike the above listed skin detox boosters, which are essentially facial beautifying treatments, dry skin brushing is a full body detox protocol and a very powerful one at that. Not only does it buff away dead cells to perfection and make your skin insanely soft, it’s also fab at increasing lymphatic flow and ultimately ridding the body of those nasty toxins, making it just about the perfect juice fast detox boosting companion.All you need is a dry brush made with natural bristles (the brush and your skin should be dry). Start at the feet and work your way up in light but firm strokes. Best is to brush towards the heart. Work your entire body. This is great to do daily, especially in the morning during the body’s elimination cycle. I also use a tiny exfoliating brush on my face. However I only dry brush my face occasionally, not daily.

In parternship with YON-KA Paris